Location: Virmor Isle – Outer Reefs
A thundercloud circled above Virmor like a hungry vulture. The isle was a jagged, uninhabited rock in the center of a sunken archipelago, long abandoned since the days of the Great Pirate Purge.
But tonight… it had visitors.
A single altar of white stone stood atop the cliff—weathered, marked by sea erosion and blood.
The Drift Altar.
And below, waiting in the shadows of the jagged rocks offshore, six ships moved in stealth.
Not merchant vessels. Not pirates.
Ashen Creed Warships.
Red Blade – Shadowed Bay, Southern Approach
Shanks stood at the wheel with eyes narrowed against the rain. Beside him, Makino adjusted her binoculars while Benn Beckman paced below deck, inspecting the strategy markers one final time.
Ankit stood apart from the others, seated on the railing, blades resting against his lap.
"System Sync: 35.0% – Spectral Cut ready for test deployment."
"Emotional Stress Level: Elevated. Memory fragment pressure rising."
"Advise caution. User is nearing Overclock Range."
He exhaled slowly. The storm in the sky mirrored the one brewing in his mind.
The Plan – Layered Strike Strategy
Benn drew lines across a soaked map on the table.
"We split. Shanks and Makino take the altar directly, act like it's a surrender. The Creed won't believe it, but they'll have to investigate."
He looked up at Ankit.
"You and I lead the flank. We use the relic shard Aelros gave you to send out false resonance pulses. They'll track it—chase it. That's when we hit them."
Makino adjusted her knives. "We only get one clean shot before they call reinforcements."
Shanks tied his sword's hilt with red ribbon—a sign he wasn't holding back.
"They wanted a trial," he said. "Let's see if they pass ours."
Location: Altar Peak – One Hour Later
Ankit stood alone.
Rain pelted down, soaking his cloak. The stone altar loomed behind him, lit by a circle of eerie blue torches.
Footsteps echoed.
From the mist came Dagon Levrein—silver-haired, golden-eyed, wearing a jet-black coat adorned with runes of forgotten languages. Six lieutenants trailed behind him, each marked with a different relic sigil.
Ashen Creed Commanders.
Ankit raised both swords in silence.
Dagon did not draw a weapon.
"Is this your choice, Stormmarked?" he asked. "War over surrender?"
Ankit's voice was steady. "No. I chose survival. You chose a hunt."
Dagon's smile was cold. "Then let the Creed judge your worth."
He raised one gloved hand.
"Commence trial."
Battle Commences – Phase One: Circle of Iron
Ankit's system flared red.
"Incoming multi-angle attack. Creed Formation: 'Circle of Iron.' Estimated survival time without adaptation: 19 seconds."
The six lieutenants moved like a school of sharks—tight, coordinated, not a single wasted motion. One with a chained halberd swung low; another hurled serrated knives in arcs designed to force him inward.
Ankit ducked, spun, Twin Flow Form: Spiral Pulse activated.
His blades clashed against three weapons simultaneously—sliding between steel like water weaving through stone.
The system blinked.
Spectral Cut – Ready
He took a breath. Then moved.
One blade slashed the air—nothing happened.
Then—a full second later—the air behind him ripped open, the delayed force of his strike landing after the motion.
Two Creed elites staggered, bleeding from phantom cuts.
Dagon's eyes widened. "That technique—wasn't in the records."
Phase Two: The Altar Turns
Suddenly, from behind, Makino surged forward from the shadows—daggers slashing.
"Circle's broken!" she called. "Push now!"
Shanks followed her—red sword glowing faintly, its blade vibrating with silent fury.
The fight exploded into chaos.
Benn's team attacked from the rear, firing smokebombs and explosive bolts from the cliffs.
The Creed was surrounded.
But they didn't panic.
Dagon's lips moved.
"Creed Lineage: Phase Two—Invokers."
From the warships offshore, massive beams of light erupted. Sigils of black fire floated into the sky.
They were calling down a relic awakening.
System Emergency Triggered
Relic Sync Detected – Incompatible Source
Surrounding aura becoming unstable. User will experience memory bleed.
Warning: Ghost Echo phase may initiate.
Ankit's vision blurred.
Suddenly he was somewhere else.
Stone corridors. Screams. A dying world. Storms above and monsters crawling from gates of obsidian.
His own hands—someone else's memories.
He saw a man identical to him, wielding two flaming blades.
Then that man collapsed—his body imploding from inside out.
Back to Reality – Cliffside Collapse
Ankit blinked the vision away just in time to dodge a hammer blow from a Creed soldier.
His body moved on instinct now—faster, sharper. The blades danced.
He leapt through the air, struck three Creed elites mid-combo, and slid under a halberd sweep in one motion.
Skill Level: Twin Flow 9.2
Spectral Cut Mastery: 17%
Dagon finally stepped forward, removing his coat.
"You're becoming him," he said softly. "The first Stormmarked. The one who ended the Oureval Line."
Ankit said nothing.
Dagon's blade flickered into his hand—white metal with veins of shadow.
They clashed.
Final Clash – Dagon vs Ankit
It was not a drawn-out fight.
Dagon was powerful—his strikes direct, forged from ancient forms. But he wasn't used to someone fighting unpredictably. Ankit adapted on every movement.
Spectral Cut – Double Layered Echo Engaged
He faked a feint, let Dagon block—then swung again, missed on purpose.
Seconds later, the air behind Dagon shattered from the delayed force.
Blood sprayed.
Dagon collapsed to one knee, panting.
"You… shouldn't… exist," he gasped.
Ankit pointed his blade at his throat.
"Get used to it."
Ashen Creed Retreat
The Creed ships began pulling away.
Benn and Makino regrouped on the altar, watching the wounded carry their leaders back.
The Red-Haired Pirates had won.
But not without cost—two of their own were injured, and they now knew just how deep this hunt ran.
🔹 SYSTEM PANEL – Ankit 🔹
System Sync: 36.4%
Skill Level (Twin Flow Style): 9.2
Spectral Cut Mastery: 17%
Can layer up to 2 echoes. Delayed hit effect 0.8 – 1.2 seconds.
New Trait Unlocked: Ghost Reflex I
+5% dodge efficiency during memory bleed phase.
Mental Strain: High
Next sync increase may cause forced vision loop. Recovery recommended.
Final Scene – Mary Geoise
The Five Elders sat around a floating hologram of the battle.
One of them, the old man with the sword, turned to the others.
"Release the official bounties. The age of secrecy is over."
Another whispered, "The Twin Blade must become a target to the world—not just the shadows."